This invention relates to a cooking system and more particularly to apparatus and a process for cooking, storing and reconstituting spaghetti.
Modern convenience restaurants usually feature rapid service for prepared foods, such as fried hamburgers, chicken, fish and potatoes. Often these fast foods are prepared some time in advance and then placed in warming ovens until sold. Since most foods do not keep well in warming ovens, the menus offered by convenience restaurants have been rather limited. Even the fast foods normally used must be disposed of if not sold within a short period after preparation. Substantial price increases in meats and other products used by convenience restaurants have increased costs to customers and decreased the profit margin for restaurant owners.
Spaghetti and other pasta products have grown in popularity with customers and proprietors of convenience restaurants. Costs are considerably less per serving to buy and prepare spaghetti than for most other fast foods. However, the difficulties and the time delays in rapidly preparing spaghetti has made its use as a fast food impractical for most quick service eating places.
The present invention comprises a simplified and automated system for the preparation of spaghetti and other similar pasta products. As used herein the term "spaghetti" is meant to include other similar pasta products which are suitable for cooking in the system of the present invention. The present system provides for simple and efficient preparation of spaghetti as a convenience food, utilizing cooking and storing apparatus in a relatively compact area. The spaghetti is automatically cooked and then stored to be quickly reconstituted as required.
In accordance with a broad aspect of the invention, a cooking basin is provided with a quantity of water and heater units in the cooking basin. A container is suspended in the cooking basin for cooking spaghetti in the hot water of the basin for a predetermined time period. Control means are provided for automatically lowering the cooking container into the hot water at the beginning of the predetermined time period and for automatically lifting the container out of the hot water after the predetermined period has ended. A storage basin adjacent the cooking basin contains cool water for storing the cooked spaghetti. A group of reconstituting containers is attachable to the control means for automatically heating portions of the stored spaghetti in the cooking basin for a second predetermined period to quickly reconstitute the spaghetti for serving.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a cook pot and a storage tank are provided in the open top of a free-standing housing. Electric or gas heaters are disposed in or near the cook pot and a swivel water faucet is attached to the housing for alternately supplying water to the cook pot and the storage tank. A cooking basket containing spaghetti is suspended in the hot water of the cook pot by attachment to a vertical basket lifter. The lifter is vertically reciprocated, using an electrical motor according to a selected cooking cycle by control circuitry within the housing. Nestable serving cups are placed in cool water in the storage tank for compactly containing the cooked spaghetti in individual servings. Cup racks each of which hold a number of cups are provided for attaching to the basket lifter to support the serving cups in the hot water of the cook pot.
For cooking, spaghetti is placed in the cooking basket attached to the basket lifter and automatically immersed in the hot water of the cook pot. When the cooking cycle is finished, the basket is automatically raised out of the hot water and is moved to the storage tank. The cooked spaghetti is rinsed with cold water and placed in individual servings in the nestable serving cups. The cups are then stacked in vertical columns in cool water in the storage tank. To reconstitute the spaghetti, the serving cups are placed in a cup rack which is attached to the basket lifter and automatically lowered into the hot water of the cook pot. After a short reheating cycle, the cup rack is automatically raised out of the hot water and the spaghetti is removed from the cups for serving.
The present invention provides a simple and efficient system and process for preparing spaghetti as a quick-service food. The timing apparatus automatically controls the cooking process to free the operator for other activities. The adjoining storage basin and nestable serving cups enable very compact storage of a large number of individually proportioned servings for an indefinite period, allowing the further preparation of spaghetti in the cooking section. The stored spaghetti may be quickly reconstituted, using the cook pot and the automatic timing system in order to provide fast service to waiting customers.